Originally Posted by
WJ99mobile
I originally didn’t want to see it removed and wasn’t to do (in my opinion) with racism. I like seeing statues for its aesthetic values. Whenever me and the mrs go away I always take note, pictures and read the plaques of the history of the statues. Always liked going through Cathays park to go past the statue there. If Picton was removed what would be there instead? And at what cost to the public.
When it’s historical, it’s so far removed from life, for me the good and the bad doesn’t come into it? Would I look and read a statue of Genghis Khan, or Nero? Absolutely. I can still be disgusted by the person whilst in awe of the history behind it. I’ve been to the killing fields in Cambodia and sat and looked at the wall of skulls. It’s fascinating and yet it’s disgusting. For me if it’s contextualised, it’s different. It’s so far removed from my life I don’t believe it does anything than just reflect history.
Then I’d try to think how I’d feel if it was more recent history. Take Michael Jackson. One of the most brilliant musicians of all time, he tackled climate change 20 years before most, countless charities like aids, cancer but a wrong’un it seems. Would I be happy with a statue of him up now? Absolutely not. It’s complicated where people remove themselves from the bad that didn’t affect them. Ironically a staunch BLM supporter Dave Chappelle, kind of gave support to MJ in his sticks and stones special. Admittedly MJ was never convicted.
My personal view is that these people because they don’t see or encounter racism, don’t fold that into the thinking. They just see it as a statue.
I’m not longer against the removal of the statue but I don’t want the thinking to become a tit-for-tat whataboutisms. Everything should be on merit but the parameters of what is merit is constantly shifting.